Graham Norton Praises Nicole Kidman’s Effort and Dishes on Challenging Celebrity Guests
Graham Norton, the beloved Irish TV host, recently expressed admiration for Australian actress Nicole Kidman, highlighting her consistent professionalism on his UK chat show. In an interview with Woman’s Day, Norton shared that Australians, and Kidman in particular, are some of his favorite guests. “They’re never too grand for it,” he said, adding that Kidman, despite her global fame, always “makes an effort.”
Kidman, who has appeared on The Graham Norton Show seven times, has earned Norton’s respect for avoiding the “Hollywood aloofness” that many stars exude. “She won’t just sit there and go, ‘I’m Nicole Kidman, what more do you want?’ Because she could. But she tries, she’s still interested, she wants to hear the stories from the other guests,” Norton said, commending her engaging presence on set, according to the Daily Mail.
While Kidman stands out for her charm, Norton admitted not all his celebrity guests are as captivating. Without naming names, he explained his strategy for handling a “boring” guest. “I’m in such a fortunate position because I’m never alone with them, I always have a couch,” he explained. “So, even if you have a boring guest, it’s not just me and the audience thinking, ‘Jesus, shut up,’ it’s other people on the couch too.” If a guest falls flat, Norton will quickly steer the conversation to “one of the more interesting people.”
Despite his diplomacy, Norton did recall a few challenging moments on set. He mentioned an appearance by American actress Daryl Hannah, known for her on-air nervousness. “Bless her, she wasn’t a great guest,” he revealed, adding that her relief after getting through the show was heartwarming, though it was “still a very poor show.”
Norton also shared stories about hosting a “hard work” interview with actor Mickey Rourke, who arrived holding a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels. “It soon became very clear where that Jack Daniels had gone,” he joked. “Those nights are quite hard work, where you’re just trying to keep it together and get to the finishing line.”
One of Norton’s most memorable encounters was with pop icon Madonna in 2012, who looked less than thrilled when two fans presented her with dolls of herself. “I saw them after the show and said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry she was a bit rude about the dolls.’ But they couldn’t have been happier. Their diva had behaved in exactly the way they wanted her to!”
Norton’s stories reveal his ability to handle a wide range of personalities with humor and grace, showcasing why he remains one of the most beloved chat show hosts in the industry.